CBS?:Saints to sign Robert Edwards Monday

this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; Can't find link, Read on message board from trusted source. Trying to find link but I'm a &quot;Walk-On Internet Searcher&quot; kinda guy...
But this is good.
Also Carter was cut for financial reasons. Being a 7 year vet he'd get ...

But this is good.
Also Carter was cut for financial reasons. Being a 7 year vet he'd get a guaranteed salary for making roster.
If we cut him and re-sign him we save about 1/2 million in guaranteed base salary.

I saw that too. It quoted Loomis as saying they might even re-sign Carter if nothing else worked out.

Carter\'s release leaves the Saints with three running backs: McAllister, James Fenderson and veteran Fred McAfee, a special-teams standout who has four carries in the past four seasons.

As a seven-year veteran, Carter\'s $530,000 base salary would have been guaranteed if he had made the 53-man roster to start the season.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said Carter might be re-signed if another back is not acquired in a trade or through waivers.

\"That is an option,\" Loomis said. \"It depends on what happens on the (waiver) wire. If we were playing a game today, Ki-Jana Carter in all likelihood would be inactive. Obviously, we\'re going to continue to look at the running back situation for the long term.\"

This was on there too.

TRADE WINDS: Saints\' officials pursued a trade for Pittsburgh Steelers running back Chris Fuamatu-Ma\'afala over the weekend, but an agreement was never reached and now he\'s a free agent. The teams were discussing a sixth-round pick before the Steelers terminated his contract Sunday. Fuamatu-Ma\'afala, 5 feet 11, 254 pounds, was a sixth-round pick in 1998. Also, the Miami Dolphins released running back Robert Edwards, who was the subject of recent trade talks with Saints\' officials.

There were a few \"vested\" (if a vested veteran is on a club\'s roster for the opening game, his salary for the full season is guaranteed) veterans -- like Chris Fuamatu Ma\'afal of Pittsburgh, Lamar Smith of Green Bay and New Orleans\' Ki-Jana Carter -- whose names appeared on the league waiver wire. But more important to the franchises seeking younger tailbacks as backups, there was a healthy group of non-vested runners with fewer than four accrued seasons in the NFL, and who are subject to waiver claims.

This by Len Pasquarelli at ESPN. It\'s that first sentence that I think might explain it.

I don\'t like this one bit. Carter certainly hadn\'t been impressive in his career thus far. But the guy had talent. You can\'t argue that. He looked good to me in the limited time we saw him in preseason. Edwards isn\'t a bad player, but he almost lost his leg his injury was so bad. He was out of football for 3 years! That\'s a giant risk for your major backup. Give me talented and young over injured and old any day.

I understand that - but if we\'re going to have one guy signed and one guy as a free agent - one guy suited up and one guy watching from home - who would you rather it be? THe old injured guy who has played 4 days in a Saints uniform or a younger, in my opinion, more talented player who has been with us for longer?

A: \"He was going to be inactive this week anyway. We had to keep other bodies up because of the injuries that we have. We will just go with James Fenderson who knows the offense better right now as a backup this week.\"

Q: Would you be committed to Carter\'s whole salary this year if he had made the roster?

A: \"Yes, anytime a vested veteran is on an opening day roster, then you are committed to his salary for the whole year.\"

Q: What is your thought process on the backup running back position?

A: \"We are still looking. It might be Carter next week. There are a handful of players who were waived that are pretty good players. We will just take it day by day right now.\"

Q: Is it a high priority?

A: \"I think it is a high priority. The guy this week probably would have been inactive anyway because of the injury situation. James does know the offense and he will do a good job if he has to play. We just felt comfortable going that way this week.\"

Q: Does James Fenderson playing special teams make him more of a viable option?

A: \"Ki-Jana doesn\'t really play special teams. He can play a couple if he had to. James is one of our better special team players, so that plays into it some. We lost Mel Mitchell, who was probably one of the better special teams players. James can replace him on a lot of those things.\"